Iron County

Iron County, MO

Data available through 1/1/2013

Date

Time (CST)

F/EF-Scale

Length (Miles)

Maximum Width (Yards)

Killed

Injured

Property Damage

Source*

9/19/1924

600 pm

F2

20

200

0

0

n/a

G

Developed over Reynolds County and moved NE into Iron County.  Forty homes were unroofed or damaged at Annapolis.

3/18/1925

101 pm

F2

219

1200

2

75

n/a

G

The start of the Great Tri State Tornado that killed 695 people, injured 2027, and caused $16,500,000 in property damage developed over Shannon County and quickly moved through Reynolds County into Iron County.  The funnel was very wide, a double tornado, or accompanied by downbursts as it enveloped Annapolis and a mining town called "Leadanna" 2 miles S of Annapolis.  Two people were killed and 75  more were injured in that area.  Losses in both towns totaled about $500,000.  It then quickly moved NE through Madison County before moving through parts of southern Illinois and southwest Indiana.  While F2 was probably the maximum damage caused in Iron County, this tornado did cause F5 damage later in its path.  It is widely accepted that this was likely a series of tornadoes instead of one long tracked tornado.

1/25/1950

730 pm

F2

2

300

0

5

n/a

G, NCDC 

Tornado formed 3 miles W of Ironton and moved NE to the N edge of Pilot Knob.  Two farm houses were unroofed, and several other rural buildings were destroyed.

12/21/1967

1245 am

F4

28

200

0

5

n/a

NCDC 

Tornado first touched down in extreme western Iron County 2.5 miles S of Viburnum.  Five persons were injured between Viburnum and Bixby as tornado destroyed a house and a trailer in a trailer park.  An aerial survey showed essentially an continuous path from this location to the NE passing SE of Viburnum and into Washington County near Route Z, 2 S and 1 E of Courtois.   Extensive damage and 3 deaths occurred with this tornado near Potosi.  There were a total of 52 injuries and >$500,000 damage along the tornado's path.

4/21/1972

315 pm

F2

26

50

0

4

n/a

NCDC 

A tornado first touched down in the upper end of Funk Branch, 2 miles SW of Annapolis, then followed an intermittent path to County Route C, 4.5 miles ENE of Annapolis, or 1.25 miles W of Minimum.  It apparently remained on the ground through the NW edge of this little community where a mobile home was totally demolished.  Four people in the trailer were injured.  The tornado then damaged a barn and shed on the N edge of town before moving into Madison County.

5/26/1973

805 pm

F1

1

50

0

0

n/a

NCDC 

Tornado reported at Pilot Knob, Ironton, and Arcadia.

5/26/1973

1030 pm

F1

3

210

0

0

n/a

NCDC 

Tornado reported near Glover.

12/2/1982

755 pm

F2

13

50

0

0

n/a

NCDC 

A tornado touched down in extreme NE Iron County 2 miles E of Minimum just S of Highway C.  The storm then moved NE into Madison County.

10/16/1984

315 pm

F1

5

200

0

0

>$5,000

NCDC 

A tornado touched down in the Clayton Creek area, 15 miles SE of Viburnum.  The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Highways 49 and 32 and produced intermittent damage to just east of Highway DD, about 5 miles NE of the initial touchdown.  A family sitting in a brick frame house was aware of a severe thunderstorm warning.  They heard and saw the tornado coming, and were able to get to the basement before the storm hit.  The house was severely damaged, but no one was injured.  A stock trailer was on the S side of a station wagon before the storm.  The trailer and station wagon were removed from their location and carried to a second location a short distance away.  The stock trailer was then resting on the other side of the station wagon.  Several barns were destroyed, as well as several old houses.

5/18/2000

700 pm

F0

1

50

0

0

$3,000

NCDC 

A small tornado caused damage between Annapolis and Vulcan along Highway 49. One home suffered roof damage and another was damaged by a downed tree. Other damage was limited to downed trees and power lines.

10/18/2004

326 pm

F1

2

400

0

0

n/a

NCDC 

A tornado first caused damage on the west side of Ironton at Shepherd  Mountain Lake.  Trees were downed and damaged on both sides of the north end of the lake as the tornado moved east at about 40 mph.  The tornado moved into west Ironton downing and snapping trees on West Boulder Drive.  On Lake Drive, part of the roof of the County Health Department was blown off and landed about 75 yards away.  A storage shed in this same area was also destroyed with part of it landing in power lines.  The majority of the damage was due to downed and snapped of trees.  Power lines and poles were down primarily because of the trees and limbs. About a dozen homes suffered minor damage involving downed trees or roof shingles blown off.  One car was severely damaged a downed tree.

10/18/2004

335 pm

F0

n/a

n/a

0

0

$0

NCDC 

The second Iron County tornado hit east of Ironton in the Killarney Shore neighborhood.  Several trees were downed or snapped off.

3/11/2006

810 pm

F2

13

450

0

0

n/a

NCDC

The tornado that started in Reynolds entered Iron County and crossed Highway 49 between Chloride and Sabula causing considerable tree damage in the Mark Twain National Forest. The damage through the forest was about one quarter mile wide. The tornado crossed Route E west of Patterson Mountain where it damaged a barn and the roof and siding of a home. The tornado then continued into Madison County.

9/22/2006

156 pm

F1

12

550

0

0

n/a

NCDC

As the tornado moved into Iron County from Reynolds County, it tracked northeast paralleling Route N for a mile, resulting in a long swath of continuous damage which spanned both sides of the road. Numerous trees were either uprooted or snapped, 5 homes sustained roof and exterior damage, and a mobile home was flipped on its side. The damage path was around a third of a mile wide and was rated high end F1. The tornado then narrowed and moved across the southeast portion of Snow Hollow Lake where trees were snapped and uprooted. Two homes sustained moderate damage due to the tornado and fallen trees. The damage path was about 75 yards wide and was rated F1 in intensity. The tornado continued northeast crossing Highway 21 around a mile north of Pilot Knob. Several homes on each side of the highway and a day care center on the west side received minor roof damage. Trees were also snapped and uprooted. The tornado then crossed Middlebrook Road where one home lost a portion of its roof, a mobile home sustained moderate damage and a machine shed was destroyed. This damage was rated F1 in intensity and was about 100 yards wide. The tornado then moved up the ridge line further east snapping a number of trees half way up. The tornado then crossed Route V around half a mile south of the Iron/St. Francois County line, snapping and topping trees on both sides of the road. The damage path was about 40 yards wide and was rated F1. It appears the tornado lifted just south of the Iron/St. Francois County line around a mile northeast of Route V. No injuries or deaths were reported.

9/22/2006

402 pm

F2

5

100

0

0

n/a 

NCDC

The tornado touched down 6 miles west of Pilot Knob on Route N where it destroyed a mobile home and blew down several trees and numerous tree limbs. The damage path was about 40 yards wide and was rated F1 in intensity. The tornado then traveled east towards Snow Hollow Lake. A ranch home was severely damaged along the north side of the lake. The tornado then hit several large trees along the east side of the lake. The damage path was 100 yards wide in this location with F2 intensity. The tornado continued moving to the east for another mile before lifting and dissipating. No injuries or deaths were reported.

4/30/2010

805 pm

EF0

n/a

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado briefly touched down on a ranch about 4 miles southwest of Annapolis. Numerous large trees were twisted and blown down. One of the trees fell onto a shed causing moderate damage. No injuries were reported.

*Sources

G - Grazulis, T. P., 1993: Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991.  A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films, Tornado Project, St. Johsnbury, VT.

NCDC - National Climatic Data Center U.S. Local Storms Events Data (www.ncdc.noaa.gov)